Zimmermann tries to get himself right vs, Marlins

(SportsNetwork.com) - Jordan Zimmermann tries to put the brakes on a personal two-game losing streak on Friday when the Washington Nationals begin a three- game set with the Miami Marlins at Marlins Park.

Zimmermann won his season debut, but has lost his last two outings, including an effort in Philadelphia on Saturday that saw him struggle with his command. The right- hander allowed four runs (2 earned) and four hits over 6 1/3 innings, but also walked four batters to fall to 1-2 to go along with a 6.14 ERA.

(Zimmermann) wasn't as sharp as he normally is," Nats manager Matt Williams said. "He got through it."

Zimmermann hadn't walked four in a game since Aug. 2, 2013, against the Milwaukee Brewers.

"I had four walks and that was unacceptable," Zimmermann said. "I have to clean that up and I'll do better next time. I was trying to be too fine and I ended up missing. I would be falling behind and I would really make a mistake and miss badly. I get 2-0 or 3-0 and I would tell myself, 'You have to throw a strike.' When you do that, it's never a strike. It's not like me."

Zimmermann has faced the Fish 17 times and is 7-3 against them with a 3.36 ERA. He was 3-0 against them last season with six quality starts.

Washington, though, enters this series on the heels of a series loss to St. Louis that culminated with a 4-1 loss on Thursday.

Denard Span drove in the Nationals' lone run with a single, while Max Scherzer (1-2) suffered his second loss in four starts despite the prized free-agent addition yielding just two runs over seven innings of work.

Miami, meanwhile, won the final two games of its series in Philadelphia. In Thursday's rubber match, Martin Prado finished with three hits and four RBI, while David Phelps turned in seven scoreless innings to lead the Marlins to a 9-1 win.

Phelps (1-0) was making his second start in place of the injured Henderson Alvarez. He struck out five and yielded just three hits and two walks over his 95-pitch appearance.

Giancarlo Stanton hit his fourth home run of the season, a laser shot to left that never got 35 feet off the ground. .

"It looked like he hit it with a two-iron," said Phelps.

Getting the call for the Marlins on Friday will be righty Mat Latos, who was better his last time out, but still lost his third straight start and is pitching to a 10.24 ERA.

Latos gave up two runs and six hits over five innings in New York, but was charged with the loss in his team's 5-4 setback to the streaking Mets. Since giving up seven runs in just two-thirds of an inning in his debut Latos has surrendered four earned runs in nine frames and has struck out 10 in that span.

He has faced the Nationals seven times and is 3-2 against them with a 2.66 ERA.

WAshington was 13-6 versus the Marlins last season.